How do you fix a floor?
Propping the floor
Once the concrete is poured, it takes 28 days to cure. It is during this period that the floor must be propped, so that it can carry loads without any risk of sagging. If the floor is not easily accessible, hangers must be provided to suspend it.
Connecting the slab to the wall
The slab must be tied to the load-bearing walls on every side of the floor. This makes it stiffer and gives it resistance to earthquakes. Depending on the type of wall, the work is done differently.
Strengthening an existing steel floor
Existing floors are often made of steel beams of the IAO type resting on the wall part of the foundations, with hollow or solid brick elements between them. When designed, the floor surface was levelled with a fill layer, serving as a base for the floor covering. Seismic standards introduced since then require this type of existing floor to be strengthened.
Fixing the connectors
It is not advisable to weld the steel elements of the steel joists, because of their chemical composition, but also because dust, rust or mortar may be stuck to them. It is therefore recommended to fix the connectors cold, so that the nails go straight into the metal. This is also easier to carry out.
Positioning the connectors
About 4 per m² are needed, close together on the wall side and more widely spaced in the middle of the beam. Of course, take care not to place them in the splice zones.
Adding insulation
Installing insulation as a structural element is useful to increase the section of the beam made of steel and concrete without adding any incidental load to the floor. These are panels made of rigid materials offering various benefits : from strength to dual thermal and acoustic insulation.