Composite Beams
Composite Beams
Composite Beams
• Composite decking works together with the concrete fill to make a stiff, light-weight,
economical floor system
• Compare the composite decking (above left), non-composite decking (above center),
and the form decking (above right)
• Composite decking is available in various profiles and thicknesses
Studs
• one of the most important parts of a composite beam are
the fixing points or shear connectors between the two
materials.
• The correct connection of the two parts of the composite
allows the materials to act as a unit and gives the
composite beam its inherent strength.
• These shear connectors are typically studs welded to the
steel beams and set into the concrete slab.
• The number and size of these shear connectors are
carefully calculated as they represent a critical part of the
composites mechanical performance.
Studs
• One of the advantages of welded studs is that
they are considered to be ductile.
• that means (in the absence of any fatigue
considerations) the shear connection can be
designed using plastic principles because it is
assumed that force can be redistributed
between adjacent studs.
• This greatly simplifies the design process.
• When a beam is designed with full shear
connection it means that sufficient connectors
are present to either fully fail the concrete in
compression, or fully fail the steel section in
tension (whichever is the smaller force).
Studs
• Reduced numbers of connectors may however be used,
resulting in so called partial shear connection.
• The sheet is laid on top of the beams, and then shear connectors are
fixed to the beams using either a “through-deck welding” process or by
shot firing.
• Once the deck is in place, the concrete is poured on top and reinforcing
bars added. The deck serves to shutter or contain the wet concrete and
also lends strength to the composite once the slab has cured.
Installation
• A concrete and steel composite beam may use
previously cast concrete slabs or be cast on site.
• Downstand beams.
• The most common type of composite beam is one where a composite slab sits on top of
a downstand beam, connected by the use of through deck welded shear studs.
• This form of construction offers a number of advantages - the decking acts as external
reinforcement at the composite stage, and during the construction stage as formwork
and a working platform. It may also provide lateral restraint to the beams during
construction.
• The decking is lifted into place in bundles, which are then distributed across the floor
area by hand. This dramatically reduces the crane lifts when compared with a precast
based alternative.
Downstand Beams
• Another common type of composite beam is one where, as with a traditional
non-composite steel framed solution, a precast concrete slab sits on top of the
top flange of the steel beam.
• The effective span range for this type of solution is around 6 to 12 m, which
therefore makes it a competitor to a number of concrete flooring options.
• Particular detailing is required for the shear connection when precast units are
used, so that the body of the precast units can be mobilized as part of the
concrete compression flange. See SCI P401 for more information.
Long span solutions
• A number of variations on the idea
of downstand beams are available
to meet long-span needs.
• Nonhomogeneous section
• transformed section is employed to “convert” the concrete
into an amount of steel that has the same effect as the concrete.
• cross sections that are plane before bending remaining plane
after bending.
• This procedure requires the strains in the fictitious steel
to be the same as those in the concrete it replaces.
• slab is properly attached to the rolled steel shape.
• This procedure is valid only for a positive bending moment, with
compression at the top, because concrete has negligible tensile strength.
• Refer to example 9.1 /p.597 /Steel Design Fifth Edition by William T Segui
Flexural Strength
• the nominal flexural strength will be reached when the entire steel cross section yields and the concrete
crushes in compression (for positive bending moment).
AISC provision:
• All W, M, and S shapes tabulated in the Manual have compact webs (for flexure) for Fy < 345 MPA, so the
first condition will govern for all composite beams except those with built-up steel shapes.
• distribution corresponding to full tensile yielding of
the steel and partial compression of the concrete,
with the plastic neutral axis (PNA) in the slab
• This condition will usually prevail when there are
enough stud anchors provided to prevent slip
completely—that is, to ensure full composite behavior.
• The third case governs only when there are fewer studs than
required for full composite behavior, resulting in partial
composite behavior.
• Shear Strength : AISC I4.2 conservatively requires that all shear be resisted by the web of the steel
shape
Refer to example 9.3 /p.605 /Steel Design Fifth Edition by William T Segui
Topics to be considered in Composite beam
design
• EFFECTIVE FLANGE WIDTH:
AISC I3.1a requires that the effective width of floor slab on each side of the beam centerline be taken as the
smallest of:
1. one eighth of the span length,
2. one half of the beam center-to-center spacing, or
3. the distance from the beam centerline to the edge of the slab.
P.161
tensile strength Fu is 65 ksi (448MPa) (AWS, 2008)
Values given by AISC Equation I8-1 are based on experimental studies.
Miscellaneous Requirements for Steel Headed Stud Anchors
The following requirements are from AISC I8.1, I8.2, and I8.2d:
• Maximum diameter = 2.5 × flange thickness of steel shape (unless placed directly over the web)
• Minimum length = 4 × stud diameter
• Minimum longitudinal spacing (center-to-center) = 6 × stud diameter
• Maximum longitudinal spacing (center-to-center) = 8 × slab thickness 36
• Minimum transverse spacing (center-to-center) = 4 × stud diameter
• Minimum concrete cover in the direction perpendicular to the shear force, V, = 1 inch
The AWS Structural Code (AWS, 2008) lists standard stud diameters of 1⁄2, 5⁄8, 3⁄4, 7⁄8, and 1 inch.
Matching these diameters with the minimum lengths prescribed by AISC, we get the common stud sizes
of 1⁄2 × 2, 5⁄8 × 21⁄2, 3⁄4 × 3, 7⁄8 × 31⁄2, and 1 × 4 (but longer studs may be used).
Design steps
• Assuming that the slab thickness and beam spacing are known. We can take the following steps to complete the
design of an unshored floor system:
1. Compute the moments acting before and after the concrete cures.
2. Select a steel shape for trial.
3. Compare the available strength of the steel shape to the required moment strength acting before the concrete cures.
4. Compute the available strength of the composite section and compare it to the total required moment strength. If the
composite section is inadequate, select another steel shape for trial.
5. Check the shear strength of the steel shape.
6. Design the steel anchors:
a. Compute V, the horizontal shear force at the interface between the concrete and the steel.
b. Divide this force by Qn, the shear capacity of a single stud, to obtain N 1, which, in most cases, is half the total
number of studs required. Using this number of studs will provide full composite behavior. If partial composite action is
desired, the number of studs can be reduced (see Section 9.7/ Steel Design Fifth Edition by William T Segui).
7. Check deflections
• Assuming full composite action and the PNA in the slab (i.e., steel controlling, the most common case for full
composite action), we can write the nominal strength
The stress block depth will generally be very small; consequently, an error in the estimate of a/2 will have only a
slight effect on the estimated value of As. An assumed value of a/2 = 0.5 inch (12.7mm) is suggested.
EXAMPLE
• PDF file
Deflections
• Because of the large moment of inertia of the transformed section, deflections in composite beams are smaller
than in noncomposite beams.
• cures. In positive moment regions, the concrete will be in compression continuously and is subject to a
phenomenon known as creep. Creep is a deformation that takes place under sustained compressive load. After
the initial deformation, additional deformation will take place at a very slow rate over a long period of time.
• Long-term deflection can only be estimated; one technique is to use a reduced area of concrete in the
transformed section so as to obtain a smaller moment of inertia and a larger computed deflection.
• the Specification recommends that the computed transformed moment of inertia be reduced by one of two
methods:
1. Reduce the computed moment of inertia by 25%.
2. Use a lower-bound moment of inertia, ILB, which is a conservative underestimation of the elastic moment of
inertia.
Refer to example 9.7 /p.621 /Steel Design Fifth Edition by William T Segui
Other topics
• COMPOSITE BEAMS WITH FORMED STEEL DECK :
The attachment of the deck to the beam can be considered to provide
lateral support for the beam before the concrete has cured.
(for it’s design, refer to Partial Composite Action /p.626 /Steel Design Fifth Edition by William T Segui)
Other topics
• CONTINUOUS BEAMS:
• required. In the negative moment zones, the concrete slab will be in
tension and therefore ineffective.
• The only type of composite behavior possible is that between the
structural steel beam and the longitudinal reinforcing steel in the
slab. (sufficient number of anchors shall be provided to achieve a
degree of continuity between the steel shape and the reinforcing.)
• The additional strength gained from considering composite action for negative moment is relatively small. If the steel
shape alone is relied on to resist the negative moment, cover plates are sometimes added to the beam flanges to increase
the moment strength.
References
• William T. segui, Steel Design.
• Johnson R.P, Composite structures of steel and concrete.
• Nethercot, D. Composite Construction.
• Johnson R.P, Designers' guide to Eurocode 4 Design of Composite
Buildings.