Suspended Timber Ground Floor Construction

We explain how hollow or suspended floors are made and what the key building regulations that affect them are.

Suspended timber ground floor construction. The dead load on a floor is determined by the materials used in the floor s construction. Different types of ground floor suspended flooring. There are 2 types of floor construction used in construction today. 1050 x 350 reinforced concrete strip foundation 2.

225mm tassel wall 6. This allows air flow and ventilation to prevent the mould and dry rot that would otherwise occur over damp ground. Previously floor timbers had been prone to damp and rot thanks to their direct contact with the moist ground. This chapter gives guidance on meeting the technical requirements for suspended ground floors including those constructed from.

Whether building a ground floor suspended timber floor or a first floor hollow floor we explain the different options and techniques that you can use in its construction. If there s wall board covered ceiling suspended from the underside of that floor the dead load increases to about 10 pounds per square foot. 150mm min hardcore 3. 100 x 75 wallplate 8.

These floor joists are raised above the subfloor on small supporting walls called tassel walls or sleeper walls. Supports underneath the floor are permanent and include sleeper walls or timber props placed at regular intervals. This paper examines suspended timber ground floor heat flow by presenting high resolution in situ heat flux measurements undertaken in a case study. 6 3 10 construction of steel framed partitions.

Floor construction concrete or timber floor. Suspended timber ground floor cavity wall. Approximately 6 6 million uk dwellings pre date 1919 and are predominantly of suspended timber ground floor construction the thermal performance of which has not been extensively investigated. 5 1 17 ground floor slab and concrete.

Suspended timber floors need to have spaces underneath ventilated via air bricks through the outer walls and gaps in any internal walls so that the air can move across the building underneath the floors to prevent the build up of moisture in the timber which could lead to fungal attack. A typical wood frame floor covered with carpet or vinyl flooring has a dead load of about 8 pounds per square foot. 150mm concrete subfloor 5. Unlike standard ground floor construction suspended floors are not sitting directly on the ground.

Solid floors are a lot more substantial and require the ground to be made up in layers of ground sub base sand compacted hard core damp proof membrane insulation and concrete. 6 3 9 construction of timber partitions. 5 1 18 laying the ground bearing floor slab. These can be classed as either suspended or solid.

At the turn of the 18th century when construction techniques moved from boarded floors installed directly on the ground to suspended timber floors over a ventilated chamber the innovation solved a significant problem.