Multiple service decking unit

Claim 1

In an integrated floor/ceiling structure comprising a metal cellular sub-floor and an overlying layer of concrete, the improvement comprising: said metal cellular sub-floor being assembled from groups of decking units arranged in side-by-side interconnected relation, wherein the decking units of each group present plural, spacedapart, parallel main cells each including spaced-apart side walls, an upper wall connecting the corresponding first ends of said spaced-apart side walls and a flat bottom sheet extending between the corresponding opposite ends of said side walls; partition means disposed within and confronting the upper wall of each of selected ones of said main cells of each group of decking units for dividing the selected main cells into upper and lower sub-cells, said partition means having opposite longitudinal edges secured to said spaced-apart side walls and being positioned at selected distances from the confronting upper walls of the selected main cells thereby to provide upper and lower sub-cells of selected cross-sectional areas; plural first means, each providing communication between one of the said upper sub-cells and the space above the said integrated floor/ceiling structure; and plural second means, each providing communication between one of the said lower sub-cells and the space below the said integrated floor/ceiling structure; said upper sub-cells providing selected mechanical services for the space above said integrated floor/ceiling structure, and simultaneously said lower sub-cells providing selected mechanical services for the space below said floor/ceiling structure, whereby a repetition of each mechanical service is provided by said groups of decking units throughout said integrated floor/ceiling structure.