walterbrennan
Structural
- May 21, 2005
- 50
Good day.
I'm writing to see if anyone is aware of an alternative rational approach for evaluating the performance of a metal-deck-supported concrete floor slab under concentrated loading.
The floor slab is a composite steel deck (e.g. VLI profile, for instance) of some height, filled with normal-weight concrete to some inches above the flute. The concrete above the deck is nominally reinforced with a welded wire fabric. The floor system is conventional composite framing (i.e. headed studs on hot-rolled wide flange beam and girder sections.)
At present, I'm leaning on the Steel Deck Institute (ANSI/SDI) publication "Composite Steel Floor Deck - Slabs".
That reference presents a methodology for determining the viability of such a slab subjected to concentrated loading by consideration of (a) proximity of load with reference to nearest beam, (b) magnitude of load, (c) load contact width on slab, and (d) slab thickness above the flute.
I've always taken for granted that using something other than this approach might be akin to stepping outside the accepted industry standard of care. After all, who knows best about the behavior and performance of this sort of system than the industry consensus group that publishes on it...?
But, as a colleague recently reminded me, it is altogether acceptable to utilize other rational approaches, so long as they are appropriately defensible.
So, have I been overly-conservative by my exclusive use of the SDI method regarding concentrated loads to composite floor slabs... is there, indeed a method out there which better approximates the behavior of this sort of floor system, specifically...?
I'm writing to see if anyone is aware of an alternative rational approach for evaluating the performance of a metal-deck-supported concrete floor slab under concentrated loading.
The floor slab is a composite steel deck (e.g. VLI profile, for instance) of some height, filled with normal-weight concrete to some inches above the flute. The concrete above the deck is nominally reinforced with a welded wire fabric. The floor system is conventional composite framing (i.e. headed studs on hot-rolled wide flange beam and girder sections.)
At present, I'm leaning on the Steel Deck Institute (ANSI/SDI) publication "Composite Steel Floor Deck - Slabs".
That reference presents a methodology for determining the viability of such a slab subjected to concentrated loading by consideration of (a) proximity of load with reference to nearest beam, (b) magnitude of load, (c) load contact width on slab, and (d) slab thickness above the flute.
I've always taken for granted that using something other than this approach might be akin to stepping outside the accepted industry standard of care. After all, who knows best about the behavior and performance of this sort of system than the industry consensus group that publishes on it...?
But, as a colleague recently reminded me, it is altogether acceptable to utilize other rational approaches, so long as they are appropriately defensible.
So, have I been overly-conservative by my exclusive use of the SDI method regarding concentrated loads to composite floor slabs... is there, indeed a method out there which better approximates the behavior of this sort of floor system, specifically...?
