11 Composite Design

11.1 GENERAL REMARKS

The use of steel-concrete composite construction began around 1926. During

recent years, composite design has been widely applied in building construc-
tion. In general, composite design provides the following advantages as com-
pared with noncomposite design:

1. Efficient use of material. As a result of composite design, the size and

weight of steel beams can be reduced by as much as 15 to 30%. The cost of
fireproofing can be reduced in addition to the cost reduction of steel beams.
2. Greater stiffness. The stiffness of the composite section can be in-
creased. This reduces the deflection of the member as compared with the
noncomposite beam.
3. Extra usable space. The use of shallow beams can reduce building
heights. It is also possible to increase column spacings to provide larger us-
able space within a structure.
4. Saving in labor and other construction material. Savings in labor, facing
material, piping, and wiring can be realized.

The conventional steel-concrete composite construction as now used in

buildings and bridges is a series of T-beams. It is composed of three essential
elements:

1. A reinforced concrete slab

2. Steel beams
3. Shear connectors

Figure 11.1 shows a composite beam section in which the reinforced con-
crete slab acts as the compression flange of the T-section. Shear connectors
can resist the horizontal shear and provide vertical interlocking between con-
crete slab and steel beams to produce a composite section that acts as a single
unit. Types of shear connectors include studs, channels, stiffened angles, and
flat bars, as shown in Fig. 11.2. The most often-used connectors are shear
studs. In building construction the studs are welded through the steel deck
into the structural steel framing; in bridge construction the studs are welded
directly to the framing.

600
 11.2 STEEL-DECK-REINFORCED COMPOSITE SLABS 601

Figure 11.1 Composite construction.

In the past, the construction was usually done with wood forming and the
slab was reinforced with bars. For the last 30 years, steel deck has been used
as the forming material for building construction and wood is only used for
bridges even though steel deck is also often used on bridges too.

11.2 STEEL-DECK-REINFORCED COMPOSITE SLABS

For steel-deck-reinforced composite slabs, the cold-formed steel deck serves

in four ways. It acts as a permanent form for the concrete, provides a working
platform for the various trades, provides the slab reinforcing for positive bend-
ing, and provides bracing for the steel frame by acting as a diaphragm. The
placement of the steel deck is done in a fraction of the time required for wood

Figure 11.2 Types of shear connectors.11.1

602 COMPOSITE DESIGN

forming, so it is no surprise that wood has been replaced in steel-framed

building construction.
Steel deck achieves its composite bonding ability by embossments or in-
dentations formed in the deck webs or by the deck shape (Fig. 11.3). In the
past, successful composite deck was made by welding transverse wires across
the deck ribs (Fig. 11.4) or by punching holes in the deck to allow concrete
to fill the ribs (Fig. 11.5). Research sponsored by the Steel Deck Institute and
by the American Iron and Steel Institute has shown that the shear studs used
to make the beams composite also greatly enhance the composite behavior of
the steel deck.11.18,11.21
The performance of the composite deck slab is as a one-way reinforced
slab and the slab is designed with conventional reinforced concrete proce-
dures. It is only necessary to provide reinforcement for shrinkage and some-
times, depending on the loading, for negative bending over the interior
supports. The Steel Deck Institute drew on the extensive research done at
Iowa State University, University of Waterloo, Lehigh University, Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University, West Virginia University, Wash-
ington University at Seattle, and from other studies done both in the United
States and overseas, to produce the uniform design method shown in the 1977
Composite Deck Design Handbook.1.324 This document contains requirements
and recommendations on materials, design, connections, and details of con-
struction with some additional information on special cases. Since 1984, en-
gineers have also used the ASCE Standard Specification for the Design and
Construction of Composite Steel Deck Slabs prepared by the Steel Deck with
Concrete Standard Committee.1.170 In 1991, the ASCE Standard was revised
and divided into two separate Standards: (1) Standard for the Structural De-
sign of Composite Slabs, ANSI/ASCE 3-91 11.53 and (2) Standard Practice for
Construction and Inspection of Composite Slabs, ANSI/ASCE 9-91.11.54 Both
Standards were approved by ANSI in December 1992. These two Standards
and their Commentaries focus on the usage of composite steel-deck-reinforced
slabs. Standard 3-91 addresses the design of composite slabs and Standard 9-
91 focuses on construction practices and inspection. These two standards are
being updated to incorporate the latest research.

11.3 COMPOSITE BEAMS OR GIRDERS WITH COLD-FORMED

STEEL DECK

In building construction, one of the economical types of roof and floor con-
struction is to combine the steel-deck-reinforced slab with the supporting steel
beams or girders as a composite system.
When the composite construction is composed of a steel beam and a solid
slab, as shown in Fig. 11.1, the slip between beam and slab is usually small
under working load; therefore the effect of slip can be neglected. For this
case, full interaction between beam and slab can be expected, and full ultimate
11.3 COMPOSITE BEAMS OR GIRDERS WITH COLD-FORMED STEEL DECK 603

Figure 11.3 Composite systems containing embossments or indentations. (a ) Type

No. 1.1.96,11.2 (b ) Type No. 2.11.3 (c ) Type No. 3.11.4
604 COMPOSITE DESIGN

Figure 11.4 Composite system with T-wires.11.5

Figure 11.5 Composite system containing punched holes.

Figure 11.6 Composite beam using steel-deck-reinforced concrete slab.1.96

11.3 COMPOSITE BEAMS OR GIRDERS WITH COLD-FORMED STEEL DECK 605

Figure 11.7 Composite joist using steel-deck-reinforced concrete slab.1.96

load can be achieved if adequate shear connectors are provided. This type of
composite beam can be designed by the AISC Specification.1.148
Since 1978 the AISC Specification1.148 has included some specific provi-
sions for the design of composite beams or girders with cold-formed steel
deck, as shown in Figs. 11.3a and 11.6. These provisions are based on the
studies conducted previously by Fisher, Grant, and Slutter at Lehigh Univer-
sity.1.95,11.21,11.22 This specification provides general requirements and design
formulas for deck ribs oriented perpendicular or parallel to steel beams. The
application of such design rules is well illustrated in Refs. 11.23–11.25. In
addition to the above, the current AISC Specification also recognizes partial
composite action because for some cases it is not necessary, and occasionally
it may not be feasible, to provide full composite action.1.148,11.23 In 1989,
Heagler prepared the SDI LRFD Design Manual for Composite Beams and
Girders with Steel Deck.11.51 This Manual contains a large number of design
tables covering a wide range of beam, deck and slab combinations that have
been analyzed as composite beams using the provisions of the AISC LRFD
Manual of Steel Construction.11.52
As far as other countries are concerned, the Canadian Sheet Steel Building
Institute’s Criteria for the Design of Composite Slabs11.26 are being used in
Canada. In Switzerland, design recommendations have been prepared by Ba-
doux and Crisinel.11.27 A book on composite design was written by Bucheli
and Crisinel in 1982.11.28 References 11.42–11.44, 11.46, and 11.48 present
the additional work and developments on composite design using steel deck
in Canada, United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. In 1999, the
International Conference on Steel and Composite Structures was held in the
Netherlands to discuss recent research on composite structures.
In addition to the use of conventional steel beams, composite open-web
steel joists with steel deck, as shown in Fig. 11.7, have been studied by Cran
and Galambos.11.29,11.30
606 COMPOSITE DESIGN

With regard to shear connectors, special connectors have been developed

in the past by various individual companies for use in composite construction.
Several studies have been made to investigate the composite action of cold-
formed steel beams and columns with concrete.11.17,11.49,11.50 References
11.55–11.75 report on the results of recent projects on composite slabs and
construction.