Nowadays, long span panels are highly desirable because building owners demand columnless spaces.
Where the selection of floor panels such as flat panels, corrugated panels, and panels supported on beams,
And prestressed panels, for many architectural and structural factors.
Architectural factors include the thickness of the floor area, services, and large penetrations through the concrete slab.
These parameters can also affect the floor slab’s aesthetics, structural integrity, and economy.
This is why it must be taken into account at the design stage,
and the best floor slab that meets all the requirements must be selected.
The architect and structural designer must cooperate to choose the most appropriate type of slab for the building under study.
Architectural factors affecting the selection of a long-term concrete floor
1. The thickness of the floor area
The thickness of the floor area is a critical architectural factor that may control the selection of long-span concrete slab types.
Where the floor area consists of the thickness of the slab, the finish and the depth required to accommodate the services below the floor.
Below floor services may include ductwork and fancoil units, ventilation and exhaust ductwork, sanitary floor traps and waste piping,
Rainwater drainage pipes, hot and cold water, fire water and sprinklers,smoke detectors, data, electrical cables,
lighting and many other specialized services.
The thickness of the floor area is greater than the thickness of the slab and should be carefully considered while selecting the type of slab.
Reducing the thickness of the floor area is also economically important as it increases the number of floors.
If the number of floors is fixed, the total height of the structure can be reduced, thus reducing the total cost of the building.
2. The Services
Services in buildings must be considered while selecting the long term concrete floor.
Services are usually placed along and across the floor system and move vertically from floor to floor without obstruction.
It should also be arranged so that the architectural appearance and structural integrity of the building are preserved.
The architect, structural designer and service designer shall maintain appropriate communication to ensure that the services,
Such as cables, pipes, and service penetrations do not compromise the integrity of the floor system or the operation of the building.
In the design phase, consideration should be given to the placement of services in the floor slab.
For example, placing two or more streams closely together in a slab can reduce the linkage and effectiveness of reinforcements.
This can be avoided by placing a single duct in a thicker part of the slab or locating services below the floor system.
Repairing services below the floor system may cause other problems.
For example, it may be necessary to pierce beams or punch holes in a slab.
These measures should not be taken unless the designer has been consulted to ensure that the integrity of the structure is not compromised.
A punched web beam should also be avoided if the channel size is greater than 0.25 times the effective depth of the beam.
Otherwise, the shear and flexural capacity of the beam is greatly reduced.
So the choice of slab type is greatly affected by the status of services because it affects the capacity of the floor slab.
3. Penetrations
Large penetrations through floor systems is another factor that structural designers must consider when selecting the type of slab.
In general, significant penetration through slabs is required for laying mains
constructing non-load-bearing stairs, and lifting columns.
The beams carry loads due to the large non-load-bearing channels, columns,
stairs, and lifting loads from the surrounding floor around the perimeter of the penetration.
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