went to one of the local indian casinos for the buffer (great price and good food) and notice that the floor seemed to be springy. It's an all concrete building and I was trying to explain to my friend that it shouldn't be that way but she insisted that it was to help resist earthquake damage.
went back and forth so she made me ask around. how do I explain that her logic is wrong...or is it?
You have no idea if the floor itself (supporting structure and poured slab) was "springy" or if it was part of the floor surfacing treatment which created a cushioning effect which you experienced...
In certain types of flooring a cushioning effect is created by the materials which are just under the surface layer to prevent injury or fatigue in the people using the area... Ex: basketball court flooring has shock absorbing layers underneath the shiny wooden top layer, dance flooring has similar properties...
Which area of the casino were you in ? In most casinos the "floor" is not actually the slab, the entire gaming floor area is set up on top of a raised flooring system of the kind you would see used in a computer data center of the type you would find a super computer located in so that any configuration desired for power wiring and communications cabling can be quickly set up simply by pulling whatever wiring is needed below the flooring system to whichever spot it is desired or needed in anywhere in the gaming area...
You are correct in that your friend hasn't a clue about what is a "safe" design for earthquakes... Wherein you would want shock absorbers in the main structural elements and a tuned mass damper in a tall building, and in a smaller building like a home, it is all about maintaining structural integrity between all the major component parts of the house so that the lateral forces don't rip it apart or separate it from its foundation... Landslide protection in the way of extreme anchoring the house to the ground with oversized foundation elements is also often a precaution required in areas with earthquake protection requirements in the building code...
~~ Evan
She is wrong.
Floor springiness has little or nothing to do with earthquake resistant design. What was the basis of her premise? That the floor "gives" during an earthquake?
Earthquakes damage buildings due to "lateral" forces (sideways) not vertical forces.
Your comment of " it shouldn't be that way" is also incorrect
Human occupants dislike springy floors however building owners are willing to put up with them because they are the unfortunate outcome of the desire for the floors below having fewer columns and thus more open space.
Floor springiness is often a problem is modern timber framed construction.... again, the desire for an open floor plan with fewer interior walls makes for longer floor joist spans.
There is way more completely explaining why your friend is wrong.
try this google search string
do "springy floors" resist earthquakes better?
cheers Bob
Try walking on it when you're sober and see if it still feels springy.
I've been on plush carpet but never so plush that it sprung bac
true, I have no idea, but I was sitting down at a table and the floor seemed to spring when people walked near my table. I, rightly or wrongly, eliminated the idea of a super springy carpet pad
this was the "food court" area which was one floor below the actual casino.
A springy floor in a dining area suggests the contractor saved money by installing the minimum number of floor joists required by the building code.
On 1/14/2012 9:33 AM, Don Phillipson wrote: ...
I expect the contractor installed precisely the number, type and spacing of joists specified by the architect/engineer...
it is not a dance floor. it is a restaurant and sometimes bingo parlor
It sounds as if that area of the building was built to the same designs as the casino floor area -- i.e. it is built on that raised floor system that I described in my previous postings...
Especially given your better description of the "feeling"...
~~ Evan
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.