Precast Concrete Floor Framing Systems to Accommodate Nonstructural Requirements

Abstract

To increase the efficiency of precast concrete buildings throughout their expected life, a set of criteria for structural floor framing systems was developed to explicitly accommodate nonstructural requirements. The nonstructural requirements include the service systems (plumbing, HVAC, and electrical) and the enclosure and finish systems, as well as spatial and functional versatility. The criteria focus on the efficiency and performance of the service, enclosure, and finish systems and the spatial and functional characteristics as influenced by the structural floor system. Associated with each criterion are specific measures that allow the direct and systematic comparison of different floor framing systems. The research applied the set of criteria to assess existing precast concrete floor systems, and used the results from the assessment to develop new concepts for precast floor systems to explicitly accommodate the nonstructural requirements. The research indicates that significant opportunities exist to improve the efficiency of precast concrete floor framing systems by applying the set of criteria.