In commonly used conventional multi-storey concrete commercial constructions, a concrete ceiling is provided where that ceiling can be also the floor of a higher level. In the provision of an aesthetically appealing finished ceiling, a ceiling grid is typically used. The grid is formed from a square grid of frame members that are hung from the concrete ceiling. The frame members are hung in rows and the rows are periodically interconnected between the rows by substantially the same shaped frame members.
The frame members are supported at predetermined locations by clips or other engagement means such as threaded rods so that the frames are hung to form a grid being substantially parallel to the concrete ceiling. The frame members can be generally described as being upside down T-shaped in cross-section and are typically solid in cross-section and formed from metal. The leg of the T-shape extends substantially vertically when hung so that the feet extend in a plane substantially parallel to the concrete ceiling.
Once a framing grid has been hung from the underside of a concrete ceiling, the spaces intermediate the frame members are filled with tile elements that typically simply rest upon the upper-side of a foot of one or more frame members. The tile elements are square or rectangular where the frame members form a square or rectangular recesses or seats for the tiles. Services run along the concrete ceiling under the frame to terminals. Services such as lighting units and air conditioning ducts are mounted intermediate frame members in place of the tile elements to provide those services to the areas below.
In this way, lighting and air conditioning can be positioned in areas of the ceiling as desired by simply disposing the services on the frame in place of a tile element and supply between the ceiling frame and the concrete ceiling. It will be appreciated that other services such as fire detectors and emergency warning systems as well as other services are disposed in the tile elements or bolted to the frame members or concrete ceiling. For example, smoke detectors are typically disposed on a tile element and a hole is bored through the tile to receive at least part of the smoke detector which is mounted thereto and connected to a cable disposed in the ceiling cavity created between the grid of frame members and the concrete ceiling.
It will be appreciated that a significant amount of cabling, for example lighting looms, are disposed in the ceiling cavity above the frame and are simply laid in a straight line or other expedient path between an entry or supply point and the lighting units. This results in significant amounts of cabling just for lighting. Furthermore, data cabling which is now disposed in practically every commercial building in relatively large quantities typically runs in all sorts of directions in a ceiling. When any new cabling or services are required, cable is simply laid through the roof cavity by removing each tile along the path between the entry and termination of the data cabling. Generally, the positioning of the services intermediate the ceiling frame and the concrete ceiling is made in an ad-hoc manner with no coordination.
It is universally recognised that conventional ceiling grid systems encourage the disorganised laying and disposal of cabling and service positioning as sometimes this is determined by convenience or ease of service delivery. This is particularly the case after a commercial building has been refurbished or renovated one or more times which is typical in the life of a commercial building. It will be appreciated that the process of maintenance of existing services or the installation of new services often results in damage or breakage of the tiles which can be difficult to remove and are particularly time consuming to manipulate. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that an architect does not have much freedom to operate in designing ceiling and ceiling cavities in view of the nature of the framing grid and the way services are disposed and provided.