Floor and ceiling panel for slab-free floor system of a building
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional building construction methods are time-consuming and prone to waste and cost overruns due to the one-of-a-kind approach in measuring, cutting, and installing materials, and existing modular construction technologies have limitations that hinder efficient multi-story building construction.
Innovation Solution
The development of pre-assembled floor-ceiling panels with a panel frame, joists, and layers of non-combustible materials, including radiant heating elements, that can span multiple stories and be easily assembled on-site, reducing the need for on-site construction of concrete slabs and minimizing the number of components required.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional construction methods are used with one-of-a-kind measuring, cutting, and installing approach, then customization and adaptability are achieved, but construction time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The floor system is divided into modular panels with standardized dimensions and configurations. Each panel is a self-contained unit that can be manufactured off-site and assembled quickly on-site, eliminating the need for custom measuring and cutting during construction while maintaining design flexibility through modular configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
Floor panels are pre-assembled and pre-configured in a factory setting before delivery to the construction site. All cutting, shaping, and component integration are completed in advance, allowing on-site installation to be reduced to simple assembly operations that significantly reduce construction time.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional construction methods are used with linear sequence of trades activities, then flexibility in handling different trades is maintained, but construction time increases and loss of time worsens
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple trade functions are merged into a single integrated floor panel assembly process. The panel incorporates structural support, flooring surfaces, and various utility integrations all in one manufactured unit, allowing simultaneous completion of tasks that would traditionally require sequential execution by different trades.
3Productivity
If modular construction with entire dwelling units built off-site is used, then construction time is reduced and productivity improves, but device complexity and difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of transporting entire dwelling units, the system segments the floor system into manageable panel units that are smaller, easier to handle, and can be assembled on-site in a linear sequence. This reduces transportation and handling complexity while maintaining the productivity benefits of off-site manufacturing.
4Reliability
If pre-assembled floor-ceiling panels with multiple layers and components are used, then structural integrity and fire safety are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The floor panel utilizes composite construction with multiple layers including structural cores, fire-resistant materials, and finished surfaces bonded together. This composite approach achieves superior structural integrity and fire safety performance while the entire multi-layer assembly is manufactured as a single integrated unit, reducing on-site assembly complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution significantly reduces construction time and costs by allowing for faster assembly of multi-story buildings without concrete slabs, while maintaining structural integrity and fire safety standards.
Implementation Method 1
a shaped substrate between the first and second layers, the shaped substrate including a radiant heating member in a channel defined by an upper surface of the shaped substrate
Data Source
AI summary
Floor and ceiling panels and methods of constructing a floor system for a building are described. In some embodiments, a panel includes a plurality of joists, a corrugated form deck disposed above and attached to the plurality of joists, a ceiling substrate disposed below and attached to the plurality of joists, and an in-floor radiant heat member disposed between the corrugated form deck and the ceiling substrate. In some embodiments, the panel includes a plurality of joists, a corrugated form deck disposed above and attached to the plurality of joists, and a sound dampener disposed between the corrugated form deck and the plurality of joists. In some embodiments, the method includes attaching a pre-assembled panel to a frame of the building and pouring concrete onto the panel so that a radiant heat member is separated from the concrete by a corrugated form deck of the panel.