Steel Composite Construction

[SperlingPE]

I am interested in construction practices.
Are the shear studs installed in the shop or in the field?
If in the shop, how is the deck installed in the field?
If studs installed in the field, how is this done?

 

[valleyboy]

In answer to your questions:-

The shear studs are usually installed on site. I usually spec that the top flange of the composite beams remain unpainted to facilitate welding of the studs.

Deck is installed direct to the top flange of the steel floor beams.

Shear studs are welded through the deck material onto the top flange of the steels.

See the following link for a brief summary of UK practice:-

http://www.smdltd.co.uk/Shear_Studs.htm

Regards

VB

 

[Taro]

In the U.S. it is required by OSHA that shear studs be installed in the field after the metal deck is in place. It is a tripping/falling hazard issue.

 

[SperlingPE]

Ok - that is what I was counting on.
How are the studs welded?
Is there a special welding rig?

 

[JedClampett]

Nelson makes studs that have an end made to be fit in a special machine and resistance welded to the member. However, it seems like the installers usually just fillet weld them in for some reason. Have others had that experience?

 

[HgTX]

You're talking about building contstruction, right? Cuz in the bridge world, whether the studs are applied in the field or in the shop varies from region to region and from contractor to contractor and is the occasional subject of much debate. (The last official ruling from OSHA was that putting them on in the field, with the kind of fall protection typically used for bridge jobs, would be a de minimus violiation. But the discussion is coming up again now.)

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[SperlingPE]

Jed - thanks
HgTX - yes, my questions are intended to be for building construction

 

[Taro]

Contractors on my jobs almost always use a stud gun. I can recall only one project in the last 10 years where the contractor wanted to stick weld the studs. And that was only because there were very few studs on the job.

Check out this link for more information:

http://millerwelds.com/pdf/ArcStudWelding.pdf

 

[lkjh345]

For any reasonale size building, the contractor will more than likely use a stud gun. There is no comparison on speed of appling studs between the two methods. The stud gun is many, many times faster.