Enhancement of Concrete Composite Decks

Reinforced concrete construction and steel construction are two of the most common contemporary construction methods. Both methods make use of composite decks as floor systems and diaphragms. During the design of composite decks, the steel deck is typically disregarded when calculating the strength of the slab since shear transfer can’t be ensured. This essentially results in efficient use of material. This report presents a method for ensuring shear transfer through the use of typical sheet metal screws, driven through the corrugated steel deck and embedded in the concrete. Both experimental and analytical work support an increase in strength with the addition of embedded fasteners, and an increase in strength with the addition of synthetic reinforcing fibers.