Examination and comparison of floor systems with wide span

Need for shelter is one of the most basic requirements of human life. With time, shelter as people know it evolved from basic structures to complex and larger ones to accommodate changing needs of its dwellers. Enabled by advances in technology, buildings with large span were built, followed by buildings with floor systems with large clearances. In this study, floor systems with large span were examined. First of all, floor systems were defined and examples of floor systems in literature were typologically classified according to their bearing parts. From this typology, floor systems with great clearance were taken into consideration in respect to their bearings. They were then compared with structure examples to create an instructive document. Introduction part includes the goal, scope and method of the study. In the second chapter, flooring is defined and classified according to its bearing systems, followed by elementary information of each classification. Later on, the term large span was discussed and examples of first examples of buildings with large span and the processed they've reached out are chronologically presented. In the third chapter, concrete, wooden, steel and composite flooring systems that have wide spans were examined in detail, followed by theoretical knowledge and application examples of each system. In the fourth chapter, flooring systems with large spans were examined through examples of projects and buildings and examined for qualities such as their structure area/bearing system, floor area/length of span and construction time/cost. In conclusion, architectural opportunities facilitated by large span floor systems regarding to its qualities like lenght of span reached, chosen system, construction time and suitability to building function were presented.