Generally, concrete slabs are used for industrial constructions. They can be used below a layer of flooring material or are exposed; slabs on grade provide the foundation for all building foundations. Also generally super-flat industrial floors are installed with laser-guided screeds and power trowels. Quality material combined with good design and expert workmanship only yield the best concrete slabs.
What are the Functional Requirements of a floor slab?
- Provide a flat surface
- Strength and stability
- Durability and freedom from maintenance
- To support load
- Fire safety
- Resistance to passage of heat
- Resistance to passage of sound
- Act as a divider (privacy) for the occupants
- Upper slab became the ceiling for the storey below
- Space between slab and ceiling /floor finish can be used to place building facilities
Importantly the slabs are supported on the intermediate rolled steel joists. The intermediate rolled steel joists are supported on columns spacing into two or more panels. Floors in heavy engineering factories, workshops and garages should be resistant to impact, abrasion and attack by lubricating oils. The epoxy resin floor topping is suitable for heavy industrial floors.
The extent to which the floors will be subjected to heavy wear and impact will often vary widely in different parts and since the more important type of finishes are more expensive it is advisable to ascertain as far as possible, before laying the finishes, where trucking gangways or process involving impact will be located and to provide accordingly.
Steel or cast iron tiles or plates, embedded in granolithic concrete may be used for areas of heavy abrasion by steel-tyred trucks or where a high resistance to impact is required. Granolithic concrete with suitable materials and good workmanship will provide in light industrial workshops and garages a floor finish of reasonable durability.
Special aggregates and metallic floor hardeners may be added to the granolithic concrete where heavy impact and wear is expected. Your factory will be invariably having loading and unloading platforms. The requirements of the floor of loading and unloading platforms and industrial loading bays are primarily high resistance to impact and abrasion and non-slipperiness. Steel tiles or ‘anchor-plates’ or metal grids embedded in granolithic concrete are suitable for loading and unloading platforms subjected to heavy impact.