Work Shop False/Sub floor

[andrewsd]

I am setting up a 130m square work shop with a concrete slab floor. I want to build a wooden floor over it with enough clearance for 4" dust extraction pipes and enough strength for heavy lathes etc. There is plenty of roof height so no problem there. Can anyone suggest options? I was thinking about some sort of modular system that I can pull up if I want to re-arrange machinery, clear pipe blockages, etc. Does anyone supply such systems?

Thanks

[joe greiner]

I trust you mean 130 sq m, not 130m each way. If the latter, we won't be able to stop drooling. Even the former will induce drooling.

Many years ago, main frame computer rooms were built with modular raised floors. Consisted of panels about 1.5 ft square (say 450mm) with posts about 1 ft high at each panel corner (adjustable for levelling). Provided space for cabling and such. I suppose they still use a similar system for internet servers. With the high value of the elements supported, the cost of such systems is quite high. A little like "sailboat hardware" vs ordinary hardware. You'll likely have to design and build your own system for reasonable economy.

Sounds like a great idea, though. Be mindful of access at the boundary. All doors will need ramps or steps to align with the rest of the world.

Joe

[Larry McCully]

get a engineer to specify framing member sizes and spans based on the loading to be on your floor. The construction can be as if building a deck but with larger size members for safe weight loading. Have short posts (300mm OR whatever you want) so you can feed your service lines under, at different locations design and build trap door entrys for axcess. If you want to use toungue and grove then i would sugges to use a 25mm or a 32mm thick flooring.Speak to larger timber yards and they should have what you need. Some stages at theatres have thicker t/g to support high loading.