The
most common cause of accidents involving a dropped ceiling is the wrong way to
install a ceiling system. What
affects the assembly security? Armstrong's
experts suggest how to properly carry out the planning and installation
process.
The
safety of mounting a suspended ceiling, and what is equally important to the
safety of its use, is influenced by many factors.The most important are:
knowledge of the ceiling system, recognition of assembly conditions,
consideration of the strength and characteristics of the load-bearing elements
to which the suspended ceiling is fixed, and finally planned additional loads,
i.e. the system of devices integrated in the ceiling, which do not have an
independent suspension.
Hundreds
of solutions - how to find it?
There
are very different suspended ceiling systems on the market. What's
more, they are very diverse even from the same manufacturer. Variables
can refer to everything from assembly rules, to permissible loads, to the
spacing of slings and profiles.Each system has its own limitations and
applicability.
Therefore,
Armstrong experts emphasize that it is important to analyze the details of a
given solution in detail. -
You can not approach this machine on the basis of: I have already assembled more
than one ceiling, I will manage it too - warns Anna Baczkowska, architect,
technical manager for Poland, Baltic countries and Scandinavia, Armstrong
Building Products
What
you need to know first of all:
with
specification of required system elements (grid sections, ceiling tile type,
acceptable system slings, necessary or desired accessories - pressure springs,
distance profiles, other)
with
guidelines on how to store and transport wrapped and individual items before
installation
with
a unit weight solution to choose the mounting (weight of the grid with fills)
with
the ways of combining system elements with each other
with
the way ceiling tiles should be installed (cutting out holes for recessed
lighting fixtures, etc., maximum loads that can be carried by them)
Suspended
Armstrong ceiling
We
start the assembly - bearing elements of the building to which the ceiling is
installed
The
choice of fixing the upper system slings and attaching the wall brackets to the
system walls is always the designer's and / or the ceiling's contractor's side
(not the manufacturer - because he does not know the load-bearing elements to
which the system will be attached).
To
determine which type of fixings will be most appropriate, the contractor should
take into account:
the
basic material of the load bearing structure - the type of substrate (eg
concrete, lightweight concrete, hollow brick), its features and thickness
design
strength
type
of elements of system slings
unit
weight of the ceiling system and any equipment integrated with it (devices
without self-suspension)
Armstrong
experts emphasize that it is worth relying on the recommendations of the
manufacturer of upper fastenings and wall section fasteners regarding the
method of preparing the holes of their length, thickness, strength and assembly
methodology.
The
type and amount of the top fasteners for slings or wall sections should be
chosen so that the load-bearing capacity of the fastening elements is not
exceeded. -
Too few slings and wall fasteners are one of the main reasons for falling
ceilings. This
is the most frequent assembly error - admits Anna Baczkowska.
The
assembly should be performed in accordance with the design documentation. If
a sling element or wall profile is attached to a solid material, the
appropriate ETAG should normally be used. If
it is not possible to use ETA-compliant fasteners (eg in the case of hollow
brick, cellular concrete or the construction of an old building), national
building codes apply. In
the case of attaching upper slings and wall sections to steel or wood, these
will be the requirements set out in ENV 1993-1-1 or ENV 1995-1-1.
Suspended
Armstrong ceiling
Additional
loads - what to predict to make the suspended ceiling safe?
Knowledge
of any planned additional burdens and their deployment, and we mention here with
integrated devices that do not generate vibrations or are evenly distributed
insulating layers in the suspended ceilings, it allows to determine the
principles of safe assembly and includes:
permissible
distance (spacing) between the slings on the main profiles of the ceiling grid
and if necessary on the transverse profiles
permissible
distance (spacing) between the main profiles of the ceiling grid
permissible
spacing of fixing the wall section to the walls
Armstrong,
to make it easier for the fitters to recognize, provides the opportunity for
consultation, but also presents, among others, in
technical cards the permissible loads evenly distributed. The
tables are helpful for executive teams in planning the suspension system and
profiles knowing the total weight of the used plate and additional loads. -
The values in the tables are
usually given in relation to the most demanding class 1 deflection defined in
the PN-EN 13964
standard, and the values
of
loads were determined during laboratory tests based on this standard - explains
Anna Baczkowska.
Guidelines
for installing a dropped ceiling are also included in Annex A to PN-EN 13964:
2014. It
includes, among others:
permissible
deviations in the flatness of the ceiling - <2mm on the length of 1m,
maximum 5mm on the length of 5m (measured in each direction, linear
interpolation on shorter lengths is allowed)
permissible
deviations of the rectangular - indicating as a practical method of inspection
regular control of diagonals during assembly.
guidelines
for line line line control with particular emphasis on linearity at connection
points with load-bearing profiles.
The
PN-EN 13964: 2014 standard also specifies the minimum width of panels to be cut
equal to or greater than half the width / length of the slab, where it treats
arrangements with the designer taking into account the column layouts, fixing
fixtures, etc. Ceiling installation in accordance with the standard should
follow the guidelines The supplier emphasized that in the event of any doubts
prior to assembly, obtain appropriate instructions from the supplier to allow
the work to be carried out correctly.
