I have looked at the SDI procedure and it leads one to believe that you can use composite metal deck as the replacement for bottom steel for fork trucks and wire mesh for distribution steel. The procedure seriously underestimates the required amount of distribution steel.
Further, it is based upon one fork truck, assumed to not be repetitive loading. How many fork trucks are not repetitive loading? How many facilities have more than one fork truck operating on the same floor, either now or in the future?
Be cautious of the following statements in their procedure: "Because the very nature of these types of problems can require the designer to make individual decisions as to how some aspects of the problem will be treated, it is not intended to negate the experience of the designer. The designer may have a method which has worked well in the past and as long as the minimums are met there is no effort by the SDI to make a change. This example problem covers different loading cases in an effort to cover most of the combinations that can occur. There may be cases that are more severe. In any case the designer must review the job’s particular set of circumstances and make the judgments necessary for the design."
"If the designer considers the truck loading to be repetitive so the slab will be subjected to many cycles of loading, it is suggested that studs be required and that a thicker slab be investigated so the resistance exceeds the demand by a greater margin.