1. Jack arch slab
Before the widespread use of reinforced concrete, a proven and common solution from the 1880s to the 1940s was to combine I-section steel beams with a small arched barrel vault of only half a brick thick. This was the jack arch vault. Over time, the solution also produced a special block that acts as an impost to provide the inclination needed to launch the vault, which made the connection between the steel beams (placed at a spacing of 1-1.20 metres) and the arch easy to establish. Typically, an earth filling and concrete slab were constructed above the vault.
2. Reinforced concrete ribbed slabs
a) with downstand or upstand steel beams
Steel beams, typically I-section, spaced 1 to 2.5 metres apart, with a 6 to 10 (a 6 to10!) centimetre thick reinforced concrete slab between them. A 3-centimetre thick reinforced concrete casing with a trapezium cross-section also encloses the steel beams.
b) In the case of reinforced concrete ribbed slabs with downstand steel beams, the slabs are located in the upper belt of the beams, making their upper side flat, while in the case of reinforced concrete ribbed slabs with upstand beams, the slabs are located in the lower belt of the beams, creating a flat lower plane. The floor construction could start immediately on the surface of the reinforced concrete ribbed slabs with downstand steel beams. In contrast, on the surface of the reinforced concrete ribbed slabs with upstand beams, a considerable amount of additional infill is necessary first.
3. Steel beam ceiling system with brick infill and concrete slab
This is the lighter version of the reinforced concrete ribbed slab with upstand steel beams. Concrete with a reinforcing mesh and 5 centimetres of monolithic reinforced concreting are placed between the sparsely-placed brick raster. The overall thickness of this slab is 10-12 centimetres.
4. Modern lightweight steel beam ceiling system
The system is often used in steel-frame buildings such as halls. A typical design is as follows: C- or I-section steel beams spaced with axial span of 50-90 (50 to 90!) centimetres with corrugated sheets laid on top of them and fixed to the beams with bolts. On top of this, 6 to 8 centimetres of monolithic reinforced concreting is laid, on which the floor layers can be prepared.