Residential Concrete Floor Joists?

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

My wife and I are house hunting and looked at a ranch style home today that was built in 1952 that has a full basement, and the main floor is poured in place concrete with concrete floor joists set into steel I-beams. I have never seen this before in a residential building, but was impressed. Needless to say it is solid. Has anyone ever come across this type of construction in a home? It should make remodeling a bit of an extra challenge, I don't think we'd be moving much plumbing.

Featured Answer

dazureus

8 years ago

All our subfloors are concrete in our new house but we used ICF Litedeck with steel I-beams as support for the longer spans. The foam serves as insulation and a form into which the rebar and concrete is applied, the later of which creates beams that support its own weight. It takes more planning for mechanicals, but is very solid.

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Comments (11)

PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
8 years ago
Do you have images to share?
just_janni
8 years ago
Wow - that sounds VERY well built! Agree - pics please!
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disfromage
Original Author
8 years ago
I don't have photos, sorry.
Naf_Naf
8 years ago
Can you share where this house is? I saw a house built in 1952 (or close to this date), similar to what you are describing. Flat roof (roof is also concrete, prefab). I was very interested in buying it but my husband is somewhat scared as he is not familiar with this type of construction. I actually took an engineer to see the house and his diagnose was: Very sound.
PRO
Jeffrey R. Grenz, General Contractor
8 years ago
A local phenom, but likely local engineers/builders/inspectors would be familiar.

Concrete structural members work in conjunction with steel rebar. Concrete has compressive strength, steel has tensile strength, together they create a great joist.... a small version of what our CA raised freeways are made.

I did one home with a free spanning concrete slab, about 8" thick over a basement room. Lots of steel, especially around a point load.
PRO
Virgil Carter Fine Art
8 years ago
Like everything else, the quality of this approach to construction depends on design and workmanship.

It's an unusual type of construction for a normal residence, unless there are some very special conditions. $$$
disfromage
Original Author
8 years ago
The home is in a suburb north of Chicago. It is a relatively small house, but built and finished to high standards. Think wood paneling, plaster walls, unusual brick work, etc. Unfortunately someone redid the bathrooms and kitchen about 1980 and they look it. If we wind up buying it I'll be sure to post some photos.
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
8 years ago
I came across one done this way because they wanted terrazzo over a basement...
disfromage
Original Author
8 years ago
Ooh terrazzo! The current flooring is a combination of 1980s wall to wall carpeting and wood. The carpeting is on a layer of plywood to bring it up to the level of the wood flooring, so I have no idea what is under all of that. Maybe terrazzo, although with my luck it'll be asbestos tile...
Pamela Turner
3 years ago
For starters let's just say no I have never seen nor heard of anything like this but I do have a question for others the house that is next door to me is a concrete block home there is definitely a slab for the foundation but the wood flooring and the floor joist is 3 ft above the concrete slab has anyone ever seen anything like this if so why was this built this WayWayWayWay