Flooring section and composite floor utilizing the same

Claim 1

In a building floor structure having a horizontal beam including a top flange, first flooring sections assembled in side-by-side connected relation and having corresponding first transverse ends overlying said top flange of said horizontal beam, second flooring sections assembled in side-by-side connected relation and having corresponding second transverse ends overlying said top flange of said horizontal beam, the first and second transverse ends of the first and second flooring sections being proximately disposed, each of said flooring sections presenting alternating coplanar flat crests and coplanar flat valleys and inclined webs connecting adjacent ones of said crests and said valleys, the width of said crests being greater than that of said valleys, said crests and said valleys and said webs defining alternating upwardly and downwardly directed lengthwise troughs, the downwardly directed lengthwise troughs of said first flooring sections being aligned with those of said second flooring sections, the improvement comprising: closure means for closing each of the confronting ends of the downwardly directed lengthwise troughs of the first and second flooring sections, along closure edges substantially entirely inwardly offset from a line coincident with said transverse ends, said closure means being formed solely from uncut segments of said flooring sections; said top flange having upper surface portions exposed between the said closure edges of the confronting closure means of corresponding downwardly directed troughs of said first flooring sections and said second flooring sections; and a generally vertical stud, fusion welded directly to said top flange centrally within one of said upper surface portions.