Deck Openings and Comp Beams

[peinma]

Does anyone know of any references for the effects of deck openings on composite steel beams (or have any opinions)? I have a copy of a 1996 article by K. Wiesner from Modern Steel Construction.

RAM appears to force beams to act as non-composite when there is an opening on boths sides of a beam, no matter how small, or the location. OK for a new design, but sometimes not OK when checking an existing design.

Thanks.

 

[Lion06]

If you have openings on one or both sides, you should be able to take advantage of the concrete that is composite, obviously as long as the shear studs are there. Maybe it's not the full slab width, but some reduced portion of it. I would take the smallest slab width that you have for composite action along the entire length of the beam and use that for the section analysis. I would also stop my fictitious slab at the edge of opening, meaning if the opening is 6" from CL of beam on each side, then you only have 12" of composite slab. I would do this regardless of the size of the hole.