Anti-seismic access floor

A flooring assembly comprising:

• a base having an upper surface;
• a pin secured to the base and extending from the upper surface of the base, the pin having a body portion adjacent to the base and a head portion extending upwardly from the body portion, the head portion having a lower head surface;
• and
• a flooring element having a locking structure positioned on a surface of a recess, the locking structure having at least two petals extending downwardly from the surface of the recess, each petal having a locking surface configured to releasably engage the lower head surface.

A method of constructing a flooring assembly comprising:

• providing a base having an upper surface;
• providing a pin secured to the base and extending from the upper surface of the base, the pin having a body portion adjacent to the base and a head portion extending upwardly from the body portion, the head portion having a lower head surface;
• providing a flooring element having a recess formed therein, the recess having a diameter, the flooring element having a collar positioned adjacent to the recess, the collar having an inner diameter that is less than the diameter of the recess, the inner diameter of the collar being greater than an outer diameter of the pin;
• and
• positioning the flooring element on the base by aligning a center axis of the pin with a center axis of the collar, and lowering a lower surface of the flooring element so that the pin is received in the recess,
• wherein the collar has an upper collar surface configured to engage the lower head surface to limit a vertical motion of the flooring element with respect to the base when the center axis of the pin is laterally offset from a central vertical axis of the recess, and
• wherein, when the pin is received in the recess and when the center axis of the pin is aligned with the central vertical axis of the recess, the collar and the pin permit vertical motion of the flooring element with respect to the base.