GB2379675A

GB2379675A - Prefabricated separating (party) floor

Info

Publication number: GB2379675A
Application number: GB0122331A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Palmer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-09-14
Filing date: 2001-09-14
Publication date: 2003-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 2021-09-14
Also published as: GB2379675B; GB0122331D0

Abstract

A prefabricated floor comprises six construction elements :(a) a lowest ceiling layer 1,2, e.g. of plasterboard which contributes to sound and fire proofing, (b) a structural spacing layer comprising load bearing joists, e.g. of timber, (c) a sound insulating material, e.g. mineral wool, between the joists, (d) a structural deck layer 7 over the joists, e.g. of O S B, (e) a resilient layer 8 e.g. of mineral wool or plastics foam, and (f) a walking surface layer e.g. of gypsum 11 reinforced with metal mesh 10. The floor is made at a factory and transported and installed as a complete fabricated unit.

Description

PRABRICATED SEPARATING (PARTY) FLOOR DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a separating (party) floor and particularly but not exclusively to a separating (party) floor prefabricated from six vertically spaced apart layers of construction.

Separating (party) floors are floors which are used to separate zones of buildings on different storeys or levels of the building. Buildings with two or more storeys such as blocks of flats, hotels, nursing homes, hostels, student accommodation, hospitals, schools, homes for the elderly, guest houses, other rooms for residential purposes and between other rooms as required by clients may therefore have one or more vertically spaced apart separating (party) floors.

Separating (party) floors must be designed to satisfy a number of different requirements in order to function adequately in service and also to meet the various requirements of building regulations, codes and standards, acceptable good practice and client needs, typically related to structural stability, sound insulation, fire safety and serviceability.

There are separating (party) floors currently in use which meet these design requirements. These floors use timber, steel or concrete as the main structural material together with various other layers of materials and in the majority of cases, are built in-situ in the building where they will form the separation. In some cases, part of the separating (party) floor has been prefabricated, usually the basic structural part of the floor. A complete prefabricated separating (party) floor to meet all of the design criteria has not been manufactured. With increased pressure for speed of construction, reduced defects on site, reduced accidents and the accepted higher quality of off-site production, a fully prefabricated separating (party) floor is desirable. It is not essential but would also be desirable to increase the sound insulation performance of separating (party) floors above the minimum requirements of building regulations.

An object of the present invention is to provide a separating (party) floor, which is fully prefabricated away from the place where the floor will be used, in order to increase the speed of construction on site, to reduce on-site defects and to increase the quality of the construction of separating (party) floors.

According to the first aspect of the present invention there is provided in the separating (party) floor a lowest layer of material known as the ceiling layer.

The ceiling layer normally has at least four functions : 0 Provision of a substrate for decorative finish 0 Provision of a surface spread of flame classification 0 A contribution to fire resistance of the floor 0 A contribution to sound insulation as a"mass"component

Preferably the ceiling layer is comprised of a non-combustible, high mass board material with a Class 1 or Class 0 surface spread of flame classification to the lowest surface facing the room below and is made up of at least two sheets of said board material Preferably the lowest sheet, exposed to the room below, of the ceiling layer has a level of resistance to moisture to prevent damage from wetting during transport and assembly Each of the layers of the ceiling layer are fixed to the next layer up in a manner such as to meet the design structural and fire resistance requirements According to the second aspect of the present invention there is provided in the separating (party) floor a second to lowest layer known as the structural spacing layer.

The function of the structural spacing layer is to carry the dead and imposed loads of the separating (party) floor to the foundations via the loadbearing walls below.

Preferably the structural spacing layer is comprised of timber or timber based joists and header joists of a size and at horizontal spacings suitable to take the dead and imposed loads The said joists and headers are preferably of solid timber or are preferably structural timber composites such as timber 1joists, timber-flanged metal web joists or rectangular section timber composites.

According to the third aspect of the present invention there is provided in the separating (party) floor a layer known as the absorbent layer fitted between the joists comprising the structural spacing layer.

The function of the absorbent layer is absorb airborne sound and contribute to the overall sound insulation of the separating (party) floor.

Preferably the absorbent layer is a lightweight open-cell insulation material which is fitted tightly up to the sides of the joists so that it forms a continuous horizontal layer in all of the spaces between the joists and headers. A typical absorbent layer could be 100mm of mineral wool insulation of a density of at least 10 kg/m2 but other materials may be equally used According to the fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided in the separating (party) floor a layer known as the structural deck layer which is fixed on top of the structural spacing layer.

The structural deck layer normally has three at least two functions: 0 The provision of structural diaphragm action to contribute to lateral stability of the building 0 Support for the layers above the deck layer Preferably the structural deck layer is a timber based board or sheet material fixed to the joists in the structural spacing layer below in a manner such as to provide the diaphragm action and carry all necessary dead and imposed

loads. The structural deck layer could be oriented strand board, chipboard, plywood or solid timber boards but other materials may be equally used.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided in the separating (party) floor a layer known as the resilient layer which is located above the structural deck layer.

The function of the resilient layer is to isolate the floating layers above from the floor structure layers below and from the perimeter wall construction around the separating (party) floor. The resilient layer is an important contributor to impact sound insulation performance.

Preferably the resilient layer is"soft"enough to isolate the floating layers above to prevent the transmission of impact sound but not so"soft"that the floating layers move up and down excessively when the building occupants walk on said floating layers. The resilient layer could be a mineral wool layer with a density between 60 and 100 kg/m3 ; a plastic-based foam material in one or more layers, each of which may be a different density or of open or closed cell structure or, the said layer could be a foam or fibre pre-fixed to a timber batten. Other resilient layers could also be suitable.

A key part of the fifth aspect of the present invention is that the resilient layer is affixed to the structural layers below the said layer, either temporarily or permanently, so that the whole separating (party) floor assembly can be transported from the place of manufacture to the place of assembly into the building for which it was designed, in such a way that the resilient layer will not become detached from the structural layers below. The fixing should be of a type which will not form a"hard"connection which would transmit Impact sound if it is to be a permanent connection.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided in the separating (party) floor a layer known as the floating layer which is located above the resilient layer.

The floating layer normally has at least three functions : 0 The provision of a walking surface for the building occupants 0 The provision of a substrate for the floor finish o Mass for sound insulation Preferably the floating layer should be a layer of one or more material layers, which provide mass to form part of the sound insulation and, for the topmost layer of the floating layer, provide an acceptable walking surface, which can take any decorative or functional covering the client or end-user may wish to apply.

A key part of the sixth aspect of the present invention is that the floating layer is affixed to the resilient layer and/or the structural layers below the said layer, either temporarily or permanently, so that the whole separating (party) floor assembly can be transported from the place of manufacture to the place of assembly into the building for which it was designed, in such a way that the

floating layer will not become detached from the resilient layer and/or the structural layers below. The fixing should be of a type which will not form a "hard"connection which would transmit impact sound if it is to be a permanent connection.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing and installing a separating (party) floor which comprises : 0 The provision of all six layers of the separating (party) floor, for prefabrication of said floor at a place away from the final position of installation into a building, as one or more complete six-layer panels to make up the said floor.

0 The one or more complete panels of the separating floor are taken from the place of manufacture to be assembled into final position in a building; said panels remaining complete as six-layer panels dunng this transport and installation phase. In one example of this phase, the complete panels could be lifted by crane from the place of manufacture onto a lorry, transported by lorry to the building site and lifted by crane into final position in the building.

0 The one or more complete panels are installed in the building and joined to the supporting walls and to each other, all as necessary to make the designed structural connections. The jointing should also take account of all other design performance requirements such as fire safety, flanking sound insulation, weathertightness, airsealing, and thermal insulation.

0 Any temporary fixing, which may have been used to connect the resilient layer and the floating layer to the structural layers below and, any fitments which may have been temporarily in place to assist with lifting the panels, should be removed before the floor is to be used as a separating (party) floor Preferably the method of manufacturing and installing includes providing one or more of the features disclosed in the above paragraphs relating to the first to sixth aspects of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, as one example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which : . Figure 1 shows a general cross section of the separating (party floor) with the structural joists shown in section.

'Figure 2 shows a cross section at the edge of the separating (party) floor with the structural joists shown in elevation.

'Figure 3 shows a detail at the floor edge with one method of temporarily fixing the resilient and floating layers to the structural layers below.

. Figure 4 (A, B & C) shows a detail of the floor with one method of permanently fixing the resilient and floating layers to the structural layers below.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2 one embodiment of a separating floor in accordance with the present invention comprises the following : 0 A ceiling layer at the lowest level in the form of two layers ; 1 as a 12.5mm Type 5 (F) plasterboard and 2 as a 15mm moisture resistant Type 5 (F)

plasterboard. Both 1 and 2 are fixed to the joists in the structural spacing layer above the ceiling layer. At the perimeter of the ceiling layer there is a structural bearing and bracing edge strip 5 of 15mm oriented strand board (osb). a A structural spacing layer, which includes timber engineered 1-joists 3 and at right angles to these, laminated veneer lumber header joists 4. Solid timber joists and header joists can be substituted for 3 and 4. In both examples the size and spacing of 3 is dependent on the span and loading.

Ei An absorbent layer of mineral wool 6 of density at least 10kg/m3 and at least 100mm thick fitted between the joists 3. o A structural deck layer 7 of 15mm osb-3 glued and fixed to the joists below with tongue and grooved osb joints glued. o A resilient layer 8 which IS two layers of"foam"bonded-together ; the lower layer being an open cell material which can expel air on compression and a closed cell upper layer.

Li At the edge of the floor panel there is a closed cell resilient material 9 around the perimeter of the floating layer 11 to isolate this layer from the perimeter walls and turned over the top surface of the floating layer to isolate said layer from the skirting board.

D A stainless steel reinforcing mesh 10 laid on top of the resilient layer 8 and turned up at the perimeter for the depth of the floating layer 11.

Li A gypsum-based self-levelling screed 11 as the floating layer. The thickness of the screed should be at least 35mm but can be increased to provide enhanced sound insulation.

With reference to Figure 3 one embodiment of a separating (party) floor in accordance with the present invention shows a method of temporarily fixing the resilient and floating layers to the structural layers below.

The stainless steel mesh as used for reinforcement 9 to the gypsum screed is turned down the face of the header joists 12 and fixed to the side of the headers for transport and installation. The turned down mesh 12 applies also to the sides of the end joists In the panels in a similar manner to that for the header joists. Immediately prior to locating the separating (party) floor in its final horizontal position, the turned down mesh 12 is removed to remove the "hard"connection between the resilient layer and the structural layers below.

With reference to Figure 4 one embodiment of a separating (party) floor In accordance with the present invention shows a method of permanently fixing the resilient and floating layers to the structural layers below.

With reference to Figure 4-A, first the resilient layer 8 is bonded 13 to the structural deck layer 7 with a suitable adhesive.

With reference to Figure 4-B, the stainless steel mesh 10 is laid over the bonded resilient layer 8 and this is stapled with stainless steel staples through into the resilient layer 8. It is important that the staples do not penetrate through to the structural deck layer 7 or, a"hard connection could be formed.

With reference to Figure 4-C, the gypsum based screed 11 is poured 15 over the mesh 10 and bonds to the mesh.

The combination of screed bond to mesh 15, staple bond of mesh to resilient layer 14 and adhesive bond to of resilient layer to structural deck 13 ensures a permanent"soft"connection between the resilient and floating layers and the structural layers below.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A separating (party) floor fully prefabricated at a place away from the final position in a building in which the floor will be used comprising of six vertically spaced apart layers of construction each of said layers to be incorporated into one or more separating (party) floor panels each of which incorporates a means to connect the topmost floating layer and the second topmost resilient layer to the structural layers below in a manner that the said floor panels can be transported and installed as complete prefabricated units to form the separating (party) floor but that the said connection of the floating and resilient layers does not adversely affect the sound insulation performance of the separating (party) floor in service in the building for which the floor was intended for use.
2. A separating (party) floor as claimed in Claim 1 where the lowest layer known as the ceiling layer is in the form of two or more board sheets with a Class 1 or Class 0 surface spread of flame classification and moisture resistance for the lowest board surface and said board sheets are non- combustible and of high mass.
3. A separating (party) floor as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 where the second to lowest layer is the structural spacing layer which may comprise of solid timber joists or timber composite joists together with header joists at a spacing and of a size to carry the floor loads to which the ceiling layer below and the structural deck layer above can be fixed.
4. A separating (party) floor as claimed in Claims 1 2 or 3 where there is provided an absorbent layer fitted between the joists and header joists which is a lightweight open cell material able to absorb airborne sound energy.
5. A separating (party) floor as claimed in Claims 1 2 3 or 4 where there is provided a structural deck layer above the structural spacing layer fixed through to the joists in said layer which may be a timber based board material to provide structural diaphragm action and provide support for layers above the structural deck layer.
6. A separating (party) floor as claimed in Claims 1 2 3 4 or 5 where there is provided a resilient layer above the structural deck layer comprising one or more layers which is a material which provides isolation of impact sound from the walking surface above but is stiff enough to support the walking surface layers without excessive movement of said layers.
7. A separating (party) floor as claimed in Claims 1 2 3 4 5 or 6 where there is provided a topmost floating layer comprising one or more layers above the resilient layer which provides a walking surface for the building occupants and a substrate for a floor finish and mass for sound insulation.

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8. A separating (party) floor as claimed in Claims 6 or 7 where the floating layer and the resilient layer are connected to the structural layers below either temporarily or permanently so that the separating (party) floor fully prefabricated panels can be transported from the place of manufacture to the place of assembly into the building for which they were designed in such a way that the floating layer and resilient layer will not become detached from the structural layers below during transport and assembly and where any temporary fixing is removed before the floor is to be used as a separating (party) floor.
9. A method of manufacturing and installing a separating (party) floor as claimed in any previous claim which comprises : . The provision of all six layers of the separating (party) floor for prefabrication of said floor at a place away from the final position of installation into a building as one or more complete six-layer panels to make up the said floor.

. The one or more complete panels of the separating floor are taken from the place of manufacture to be assembled into final position in a

building with said panels remaining complete as six-layer panels during . 1,. y 11 this transport and installation phase.

. The one or more complete panels are installed in the building and joined to the supporting walls and to each other all as necessary to make the designed connections.

Any temporary fixing used to connect the resilient layer and the floating layer to the structural layers below are removed before the floor is to be used as a separating (party) floor.
10. A separating (party) floor substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-4 of the accompanying drawings.