STE 402

Composite Structures

Dr. Hesham Fawzy Shaabn

Professor,
Zagazig University

What Composite Structures

Means?

The cross section of the element composed

of more than one material.
Examples:

RC structures: Steel & Concrete (steel ratio=?)

Wood & Steel
Concrete & Steel
Concrete & FRP
Concrete, Steel & FRP

Composite floor system

Components of a typical modern composite-floor system

Composite floor system (cont.)

Components of a typical modern composite-floor system

Advantages of Composite
Structures

Composite steel deck

Reduce labor cost

Can use as permanent form and also external

reinforcement
Faster construction resulting

Faster construction resulting

From elimination of from work (shored and

unshored).

Disadvantages of Composite
Structures

Low fire resistance

Skilled labor

Compared to RC labor

Relative high cost

Construction time
Suitable span (economic for large span)

Historical (Early) Applications

of composite Structures

Early applications of the steel concrete composite

beams involved concrete-encased steel beams for
which the concrete served primarily as fire
protection.
However, it was recognized that both the strength
and stiffness of the encased member
The greatest application for composite construction
was the development of the welded headed stud in
the 1950s

Types of Composite Structures

Composite slab

Composite beam

corrugated steel deck and concrete

Steel section, shear connector & solid slab
Steel section, shear connector & composite slab

Composite column & frames

Steel pipe filled with concrete.

Steel section encased with concrete column

Composite slabs
The deck is cold-formed steel sheet, and some means of ensuring
mechanical interlock with the hardened concrete is provided.

a) fluted deck

(b) embossed deck

Composite slab (cont.)

steel deck serves temporarily as a construction

platform and as formwork to support the fresh
concrete
After the concrete hardens, the deck provides part
or all of the positive moment reinforcement for the
one-way slab
Properly attached deck also serves as lateral
bracing for the compression flange of the beams
and girders during construcion

Shear connectors
The most widely used type of shear connectors is the
headed stud. The stud shear connector is a short length of
round steel bar welded to the steel beam at one end and

having an anchorage provided in the form of a round head

at the other end.

The most common diameters are

16, 19 and 22mm

Shear connectors (cont.)

The length is dependent on the depth of metal deck and should

extend at least 40mm above the top of the deck. The studs are
normally welded to the beam with an automatic welding gun.

Shear connectors (cont.)

The advantages of stud connectors are:

1.

The welding process is rapid.

2.

They provide little obstruction to reinforcement in the

concrete slab.

3.

They are equally strong and stiff in shear in all directions

normal to the axis of the stud.

Shear connectors cont.

Other types of connector with higher strength have been

developed, primarily for use in bridges.

Composite Beams
The coupling between steel beam and concrete slab assures both
economical and structural benefits, because of the quick
construction typical of the steel structures, and the large increment
in stiffness due to the presence of the concrete flange.
The reinforced concrete slab can be either solid or composite,
when cast on profile steel sheeting.

Composite Beams cont.

Examples of Composite
Structures

Bridges

Examples of Composite
Structures

Tall Buildings