Help Identifying Floor System (1900ish) 1

[Buffalo2025]

I was hoping someone could help identify the below floor system. I cannot verify date of construction but was told sometime around 1900 in the northeast US. It looks somewhat like Dox Plank, but from what I can find, the construction date would be before when this system was generally used. The photos below are from the crawl space below the first floor, with wood framing used on the 2nd floor and roof framing.

Photo 1:


Photo 2:


Photos from an adjacent area of the building, used previously for coal storage and heavily damaged from water intrusion from above:

 

[jerseyshore]

Do any of the plank associations offer historical help like SJI does?

I feel like the circle & oval combination might help identify it since it seems quite unique.

Interested in this one.

 

[MintJulep]

Maybe the building is younger than you've been told.

Maybe that's not the original floor.

This might give you some leads: https://www.phrc.psu.edu/assets/docs/Publications/2016RBDCCPapers/Dolhon-2016-RBDCC.pdf

This ignores the existence of the the US, but if you dig around you might find something: https://hollowcore.org/historical-development-hollow-core-slabs/

 

[Buffalo2025]

Do any of the plank associations offer historical help like SJI does?

I feel like the circle & oval combination might help identify it since it seems quite unique.

Interested in this one.

I had also found some sketches from the IIBEC that seemed to show a similar system with inverted t shapes:
IIBEC - Vintage Roof Systems

Maybe the building is younger than you've been told.

Maybe that's not the original floor.

This might give you some leads: https://www.phrc.psu.edu/assets/docs/Publications/2016RBDCCPapers/Dolhon-2016-RBDCC.pdf

This ignores the existence of the the US, but if you dig around you might find something: https://hollowcore.org/historical-development-hollow-core-slabs/

Thank you, I had come across the PSU site while looking more into this system, the Figure 10 & 11 photos look very similar to the second set of photos I posted.

Ultimately, this is just for a high-level description of the buildings framing systems, I do not need to determine a floor capacity or make any modifications. I'd like to be able to find any background information on the system and any potential issues, etc. that have come up with the systems use though for my assessment.

 

[DigiAlmond]

It seems like the second system you show could be the truscon ribbed floretyle or floreform: https://archive.org/details/TrusconFloretyleConstruction/page/n11/mode/2up

the document I linked is from 1905, so that product was alive and kicking around the time your building was built? does that seem to match at all?

 

[Buffalo2025]

It seems like the second system you show could be the truscon ribbed floretyle or floreform: https://archive.org/details/TrusconFloretyleConstruction/page/n11/mode/2up

the document I linked is from 1905, so that product was alive and kicking around the time your building was built? does that seem to match at all?

Thank you! That is a great find, that looks to be a match for the second set of photos

 

[DigiAlmond]

Of course! If you don't have it I highly recommend the antiquated structural systems illustrated from Matthew Stuart: https://files.engineering.com/downl...NTIQUATED_STRUCTURAL_SYSTEMS_-_DICTIONARY.pdf

It's usually the first thing I consult if I run into a system I've never seen before just to get name.

I do echo MintJulep thoughts on whether or not that first floor system is as old as the rest of the building. That sort of block style hollow-core (for lack of a better term) doesn't seem to pop up until a bit later into the 1900s. I can't find any hits on the profile, but it may be a very local product. I have a similar system I run into locally that was essentially just produced in my city and thus never really made it outside of state (though this was produced in the 50s). I think it's very likely that this unique profile is newer than 1900 and a very local product. Depending on how dedicated you are it maybe worth calling up some local libraries or universities and seeing if they have any catalogs that match the profile.

 

[jerseyshore]

Of course! If you don't have it I highly recommend the antiquated structural systems illustrated from Matthew Stuart: https://files.engineering.com/downl...NTIQUATED_STRUCTURAL_SYSTEMS_-_DICTIONARY.pdf

It's usually the first thing I consult if I run into a system I've never seen before just to get name.

Awesome PDF. Thanks for sharing.

 

[AUCE98]

Matthew Stewart has also written several articles for Structure magazine. This one was published in June 2009 and contained similar information. Best of luck.

 

[Buffalo2025]

Of course! If you don't have it I highly recommend the antiquated structural systems illustrated from Matthew Stuart: https://files.engineering.com/downl...NTIQUATED_STRUCTURAL_SYSTEMS_-_DICTIONARY.pdf

It's usually the first thing I consult if I run into a system I've never seen before just to get name.

I do echo MintJulep thoughts on whether or not that first floor system is as old as the rest of the building. That sort of block style hollow-core (for lack of a better term) doesn't seem to pop up until a bit later into the 1900s. I can't find any hits on the profile, but it may be a very local product. I have a similar system I run into locally that was essentially just produced in my city and thus never really made it outside of state (though this was produced in the 50s). I think it's very likely that this unique profile is newer than 1900 and a very local product. Depending on how dedicated you are it maybe worth calling up some local libraries or universities and seeing if they have any catalogs that match the profile.

Matthew Stewart has also written several articles for Structure magazine. This one was published in June 2009 and contained similar information. Best of luck.

Thank you!