I7 - Specialized Floor Systems - LT #1

Question 1

What is access flooring?

Answer 1

Floor raised to create a cavity to act as a plenum. Or for wiring and data cables.

Question 2

When using a grid-type frame system for an access floor, how are the finished floor panels normally held in place?

Answer 2

Gravity or locked down by screwing if using only pillars and no framework

Question 3

What material is used to give structural strength to the access floor panels?

Answer 3

Steel & sometimes concrete.

Question 4

If a raised floor is used to move air, what are two precautions?

Answer 4

Fire spread & air borne contaminants.

Question 5

What are four factors considered when choosing sports flooring?

Answer 5

1) Force reduction (Shock absorption)
2) Surface Finish (Traction)
3) Vertical deformation (How surface deforms under the load)

Question 6

Describe three categories of sports flooring based on elasticity.

Answer 6

1) Area Elastic - Hardwood over engineered panels & may include cushioning under.

2) Point Elastic Multi-Layer synthetic rubber flooring

3) Combination Elastic - Rubberized flooring over wood panels. (Combination of area and point systems)

Question 7

What are access floors used for?

Answer 7

Raised and used as large plenum area for moving air or to create an access cavity for computer & communication wiring in office buildings, call centres, data processing centres and educational facilities (computer labs)

Question 8

What is a Sports floor?

Answer 8

High-impact floor such as indoor roller skate rinks, bowling lanes or they may be required to deliver a certain bounce for a ball EX Basketball court.

Question 9

Two main styles of access floor systems:

Answer 9

1) Just pillars
2) Pillars and grid-type formwork and is usually designed for heavier loads.

Question 10

Design for raised floors needs to be based on:

Answer 10

1) Uniform loads
2) Point loads
3) Rolling loads
4) Pedestrian Traffic

Question 11

Flooring panels can be lifted at any time for what reason?

Answer 11

Quick access for adding or modifying the under-floor services.

Question 12

Flooring panels are nornallly what dimension?

Answer 12

24” square

Question 13

Flooring panels can be installed pre-finished or?

Answer 13

Be made to receive a carpet tile finish on-site.

Question 14

High strength square flooring panels are made from:

Answer 14

Welded steel, some are filled with concrete for additional strength.

Rated for design loads as high as 3000 LB and rolling loads as high as 2500 LB

Question 15

Panel lifting should be done:

Answer 15

Vertically with no hinging.

Special lifting device that uses a vacuum similar to the suction cup handles used for carrying glass.

Spiked Carpet lift also can be used.

Question 16

Unless a horizontal framework is installed, only a single row of:

Answer 16

Only a single row of panels should be lifted at one time to prevent damage to pedestals.

Question 17

Flooring panels in access floors needs to be:

Answer 17

Suitable for the amount of traffic and for the building environment.

Question 18

Soft floor finishes are used when:

Answer 18

Sound deadening is desired.

Question 19

High-Impact laminate finish is used for:

Answer 19

High-Traffic areas and facilities where dust control is important, such as data centres and factories.

Question 20

Panels can be ground to a frame system using:

Answer 20

Small clips

Question 21

Raised floorings used to create a large plenum for moving area are used for:

Answer 21

Heating, ventilation and/or cooling.

Question 22

Raised floor eliminates the need for ducting but care must be taken:

Answer 22

To block all paths where fire could spread into adjacent cavities..

Question 23

Since Plenum is used to move air what can be present in the plenum area?

Answer 23

No exposed fiber glass insulation or other contaminants.

Question 24

Advantages to a raised floor:

Answer 24

1) Up to 14 LEED credits
2) Up to 40% saving on heating costs
3) Improved occupant comfort
4) Better ventilation rates than with ducting
5) Ability to adjust air volume for each office or cubicle.
6) Ability to reduce the required slab to slab height in suspended concrete slab construction.

Question 25

What is used where raised floor is being used as a plenum for heating or cooling?

Answer 25

Aluminum & steel grate air flow panels.

Can be intermixed with solid panels to deliver air where it’s needed.

Question 26

Most sub-flooring is designed to go over:

Answer 26

Concrete base, in many cases an engineered sub-floor is used over the concrete to give the proper action for the sports or activity and to provide a surface to fasten the finish flooring to.

Question 27

Three categories of sports flooring:

Answer 27

Area Elastic (wood systems)

Point Elastic (Synthetic systems

Combination Elastic (combination of point AND area)

Question 28

Wood sports flooring system can be installed how?

Answer 28

Anchored or floating. Typically have a top layer of Maple hardwood. Due to the closed-grain structure of maple, it wears better than open-grain hardwoods such as oak.

Question 29

Synthetic sport floor systems are usually:

Answer 29

Multi-Layer synthetic rubber composite. This type of specialized flooring used for:

Volleyball, Badminton, Aerobics, track and other similar activities. where Ball bounce isn’t a consideration.

Question 30

Combination Elastic sports floor is:

Answer 30

Combination of Point elastic layer over a base area of elastic area.

Tranfers impact over a wide area, providing one of the safest and most comfortable sports floors.

Question 31

Top surface of typical combi-elastic floor is:

Answer 31

a synthetic rubberized layer over tongue and groove plywood planking, glued over a shock absorbing cushion.