How far can a block and beam floor span?

How far can a block and beam floor span?

Introduction: Beam and block ground floors The concrete beams can span up to 8m without the need for subfloor walls, although a typical span is around 6m or less.

What goes on top of block and beam floor?

Insulation is usually positioned on top of the beam and block floor, a concrete topping or screed is then laid onto the insulation. An upstand perimeter insulation is installed around the edge of the concrete topping or screed in order to prevent thermal bridging.

Can you cut beam and block?

Once all the beams are in place, they should then be infilled with blocks over the whole floor area. It is important that blocks are not cut or drilled in such a way as to impair their performance.

What are the benefits of a block and beam floor?

Some of the key benefits of our beam and block flooring system are:

• Easy installation.
• High performance.
• Safe working platform.
• All-weather form of construction.
• Available in two widths.

Do you need DPC under block and beam?

Do the floor beams require a dpc under the bearing ends? We do recommend that the bearing wall be protected by a suitable dpc at some point below the bearing level of the floor beams. This is a requirement of our BBA certificate and is to protect the pre-stressed steel within the beam.

Do beam and block floors need ventilation?

The Building Regulations Approved Document C states suspended timber floors and suspended concrete floors (including block and beam) have a provision for ventilation on two opposing external walls of not less than 1500mm² per metre run of external wall or 500mm² per metre² of floor area, whichever works out to give the …

Whats cheaper block and beam or slab?

Overall, concrete slab flooring is cheaper to buy. But, it’s more labour intensive and takes a long time to complete. In contrast, block-and-beam floors initially cost more to purchase but need much less labour.

Do you put DPC under block and beam?

Do block and beam floors bounce?

Some beam and block floors do have a bounce, especially if they are at their upper span limit of around 5m. e beams are pretensioned precast reinforced concrete and they have a slight camber in the middle. Some are designed to settle when the insulation and floor screed has been loaded and cast.

Why are concrete floors suspended?

Unlike standard ground floor construction, suspended floors are not sitting directly on the ground. This allows air flow and ventilation to prevent the mould and dry rot that would otherwise occur over damp ground. However this air flow can leave the problem of draughts and cold in the house if not insulated correctly.

Do you need to screed block and beam floor?

A levelling screed or structural topping maybe required. Expanded polystyrene blocks (EPS) can also be used between the beams but these have no structural resilience and therefore require a structural screed to transfer loads to the beams.

How do you seal a beam and block floor?

To seal the floor, the whole floor area should be grouted with a nominal 6:1 sharp sand/cement mix as soon as possible after the fixing of floor joist/beam and blocks are completed.

Is block and beam cheaper than concrete?

While a simple concrete slab can be relatively cheap, it takes time to lay and dry out, so over the last few years, the beam and block suspended floor has become more prominent. It’s slightly more expensive, especially on relatively small jobs, but for speed and convenience it’s hard to beat.

How thick should a suspended concrete floor be?

This depends on site conditions and the type of project. A typical concrete slab can be between 100 to 500 mm in thickness and will be steel reinforced. SUSPENDED REINFORCED CONCRETE DESIGNS: There are different designs used for suspended reinforced concrete slabs.

How thick is a suspended concrete slab?

around 200mm thick
Suspended Slab In a residential situation, the slab is around 200mm thick and is supported by external sub-floor walls of brick or concrete block etc. The slab is also supported by free-standing brick or concrete piers.

Is it worth insulating a concrete floor?

Generally speaking, you only need to insulate the ground floor. If you’re on an upper floor, you don’t usually need to insulate your floor space. However, you should consider insulating any floors that are above unheated spaces such as garages, as you could be losing a lot of heat through those.

Is block and beam better than slab?

Beam & block floors While a simple concrete slab can be relatively cheap, it takes time to lay and dry out, so over the last few years, the beam and block suspended floor has become more prominent. It’s slightly more expensive, especially on relatively small jobs, but for speed and convenience it’s hard to beat.